


Mothers, Promises, and the Gift of Sweetness

by mcgarrygirl78



Series: The Grove [7]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Drama, F/M, Family, Friendship, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-07
Updated: 2014-10-07
Packaged: 2018-02-20 05:31:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2416685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Mother, I told you Hotch does not move and shake.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mothers, Promises, and the Gift of Sweetness

Derek opened the door and smiled.

 

“Merry Christmas!” Hotch said.

 

“Merry Christmas, get in here where it’s warm. Nice outfit.”

 

Hotch smirked. His knee-length wool coat was open, exposing his black dress pants, white dress shirt, red tie, and red Ralph Lauren sweater.

 

“One of these days you will stop making fun of my clothes.”

 

“As soon as you stop dressing like one of our teachers, I will.”

 

Derek wore a pair of jeans and a long sleeved Van Halen tee shirt.

 

“Shut up.” Hotch punched his arm. “I'm taking my gift back.”

 

“No way.” Derek grabbed the lightweight but awkward shaped gift as he handed over Hotch’s.

 

“Who was at the door?” his mother asked, walking into the living room. She wiped her hands on her apron. “Oh Merry Christmas, Aaron.”

 

“You too, Mrs. Morgan.”

 

“Thank you,” she kissed Hotch’s cheek as he handed her a Christmas bag. “You didn’t have to; you are the sweetest thing.”

 

“He’s a brownnoser.” Derek replied laughing. 

 

“Hush you.” his mother gently slapped his chest.

 

“It’s just a plant, ma'am. I read an article last month detailing how the photosynthesis in plants creates oxygen. It’s helpful in environments filled with fluorescent lighting, which gives off no energy. I thought you could use it at the bank.”

 

“I'm sure I could.” Mrs. Morgan smiled.

 

Hotch thought she looked quite content for a woman who had just booted out her husband for cheating. Maybe it was better she had no idea the monster Carl Buford really was.

 

“Hey Hotch.” Sarah came down the stairs smiling. 

 

Her smile reminded Hotch of the summer he had a delirious crush on her. He wanted to follow her everywhere like a pup. It was eighth grade, and she was so sweet to him.

 

“Hey. How is NYU treating you?”

 

“Wonderful. I'm actually only home for the next few days before heading off to Paris.”

 

“Paris? Wow Sarah, that is awesome.”

 

“Make sure you tell your mother I said Merry Christmas Aaron; I have to get back to my turkey wings.”

 

“Yes ma'am, I will.”

 

“Open your gift man,” Derek said as his mother and sister went into the kitchen. “I think I nailed it this year.”

 

“Where’s Des?” Hotch asked, tearing off the paper.

 

“Down the street at her friend’s house. She’ll be back soon and then my Aunt and Uncle are coming over for dinner. Well, what do you think?”

 

“This is awesome, really.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Morgan, this is my very happy face.”

 

“It is?”

 

“Yes…I love it.”

 

Derek bought him a model Lockheed P-38 Lightning that he could put together and fly. Hotch had been fascinated with model aircraft since he was a child. While he had outgrown playing with them in the park for hours on end, the joy he got from building them would never go away.

 

“Open yours.”

 

Derek ripped the paper off, looked at it, looked at his friend, looked at it again, and started to jump up and down.

 

“Holy shit, holy, holy shit!”

 

“Derek, language.” His mother warned, poking her head out of the kitchen.

 

“Mama, look!” he held up the football. “It’s signed by Sweetness…can you believe it?”

 

“Who?”

 

“Nevermind, I will explain later.”

 

Derek practically jumped in Hotch’s arms, hugging him fiercely.

 

“You have to know that you are the best friend ever! I mean, you were awesome before but…holy…”

 

“I just wanted to get you something you would like.” Hotch replied.

 

“Like? A football signed by Sweetness? The only thing I could think of to top this is all of the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders.”

 

“Good.” Hotch smiled.

 

“How did you do this?”

 

“Telling you would be no fun.” Hotch looked at his watch. “I better get out of here; being late would cast the wrong impression.”

 

“You're meeting the other Ambassador Prentiss today, right?” Derek asked.

 

“Yeah, and her older sister Julia too. I'm nervous; Emily said her mother is quite hard to please. Hence the outfit. This is my best sweater.”

 

“I feel ya.”

 

“Alright. You're coming to brunch tomorrow, right?”

 

“Yeah…at 12:45?”

 

“Yes. I figured afterwards us guys can see a movie. I know the girls will want to go to the mall for the after Christmas sales, especially if Garcia’s ritzy Aunt comes through with that Christmas money she has been hoping for since her birthday. If I don’t see a mall again, it will be too soon.”

 

“Tell me about it.”

 

“Is Elle joining us?” Hotch asked.

 

“Well…I think so.”

 

“What's the matter?”

 

“It’s complicated. Elle and I…I looked up and we were damn near exclusive. It freaked me out; definitely freaked her out. She slept with Adam Lloyd last week man; we play football together.”

 

“I'm sorry.”

 

“Shit happens.” Derek shrugged. “We are not exclusive, despite recent appearance.”

 

“Then why do you look so pissed. You face is turning red.”

 

“It is not! She snuck behind my back Hotch; we don’t need to do that. Elle and I talk to each other about our conquests and this time she snuck behind my back. Not to mention that Adam plays ball with me and now his ass is going to run around telling everyone he bagged my babe. This makes me look bad, you know.”

 

“Yeah.” Hotch nodded.

 

“Elle can do dangerous things when she feels like life is getting humdrum. I’ll call you later and give you the whole thing. Get out of here.”

 

“Call me after nine, OK? I should be done with all obligatory holiday brouhaha by then. Bye, Mrs. Morgan! Bye Sarah!”

 

“Bye Aaron!” they said in unison as he buttoned his coat and once again stepped out in the cold.

 

Pulling his collar up, Hotch got into his Firebird and put the key in the ignition. Bruce Springsteen sang _Merry Christmas Baby_ as he made his way from Buena Vista to Woodley Park. Even on Christmas Day, DC traffic was nothing short of nightmarish. He was going halfway across the city and needed to make sure he wasn’t peevish when he got there. So he turned up the radio and focused on what Emily’s face would look like when he gave her the presents he bought. That would keep him calm.

 

***

 

“Come in, come in Aaron.” Gregory Prentiss opened the door with a smile. “Merry Christmas.”

 

“Merry Christmas, Ambassador Prentiss. I am so sorry I'm late…traffic was a nightmare. I was driving out from Buena Vista.”

 

“Its understandable.” Gregory took the gift bags as Hotch got out of his coat. “Everyone is already in the den; go in and say hello.”

 

“I'm a little nervous.” Hotch said.

 

“Patently. Elizabeth can be prickly as well as unpredictable. She will most likely judge you immediately. Just be yourself; I wish I had better advice but you are a great kid. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.”

 

“Thank you sir.” Hotch nodded. He took a deep breath, following the sounds of the baby grand in the Prentiss’ den. “Merry Christmas.”

 

“You made it.” Emily abandoned the piano, rushing over and hugging him.

 

“I'm sorry I'm late, Em. I was coming in from Buena Vista…it may as well been Mars.”

 

“Are the Morgans good?” she asked.

 

“Preparing for a nice Christmas meal. Derek really loved his gift.”

 

“Merry Christmas, Aaron.” Natalie Prentiss came into the den at the same time that Elizabeth Prentiss stood from the couch. She turned to look at him. Hotch was sure he gasped, the gift bags falling from his hands and onto the floor. “Oh goodness.”

 

“I'm so sorry, Mrs. Prentiss.” He said as Natalie rushed to pick things up. “I just…”

 

“It’s alright.”

 

“My God, you are the image of Alexander.”

 

Elizabeth looked him up and down a few times. She looked chic dressed in a black long sleeved turtleneck dress and pumps. The only color was the red silk scarf tied around her neck. He could immediately see the resemblance to Emily though her features were sterner. Emily was like a breath of fresh air.

 

“Do people tell you how much you look like him?” she asked, extending her hand and shaking his firmly. “You must get tired of hearing it.”

 

“Actually ma'am, I don’t often see people associated with my late father.”

 

“Well why not? Those are the movers and shakers in this town…excellent to know. Your father was very important.”

 

“Mother, I told you that Hotch does not move and shake.” Emily replied.

 

“What is with kids these days?” Elizabeth asked. “We build you an empire and all you want is a tent in the backyard. Ahh well. Tell me about yourself Aaron,” she sat on the couch again as Hotch and Emily sat on the loveseat. He watched Natalie go into the kitchen and wanted her back. “Emily tells me you are a shoo-in for valedictorian.”

 

“I honestly pay no attention to such things.” Hotch replied. “I just do my best and see what comes of it. You must be Julia.” He turned his attention from Elizabeth to the young woman beside her.

 

“I was just waiting my turn.” She said. Her smile made she and Emily look identical. Except Julia had her mother’s strong cheekbones and jaw while Emily’s features had been softened by her father. “How are you, Hotch?”

 

“Hotch?” Elizabeth raised an eyebrow.

 

“It’s a nickname, Ambassador Prentiss.” He said.

 

“For heaven’s sake why? Aaron is a perfectly acceptable name.”

 

 _My God_ , Hotch thought as he smiled so much his jaw hurt, _no wonder Emily could not wait to get far away from you. A couple of oceans and mountain ranges are just what the doctor ordered._

 

“Wow, you even have his dimples. Its like he’s back from the dead.”

 

“Tell me Ambassador, were you well acquainted with my mother?” Hotch asked, unsure if his contempt showed.

 

“I'm afraid not.” Elizabeth smiled. “Why don’t you tell me about your plans for the future, Aaron? What do you want to do with the rest of your life?”

 

“I'm sure I don’t know. I will start with a double major in pre-Law and Sociology. Yale University has a great concentration in the Department in Cultural Sociology and Social Theory I find fascinating. I admit to trying to tempt Emily to take a few classes.”

 

“Emily isn’t going to Yale; she is going to Harvard.”

 

“Mother…”

 

“We've discussed this.” Elizabeth replied. “The decision was already made.”

 

“I never made a decision.” Emily said. “You made a decision.”

 

“I knew this would happen. I let you come here and everything goes to hell.”

 

“Yale is an amazing school.” Emily reasoned. “Nothing has gone to hell except this conversation.”

 

“Harvard is the best.”

 

“Actually mother,” Julia said. “ _US News and World Report_ consistently ranks Princeton as the number one school in the country.”

 

“Yes,” Elizabeth caressed her older daughter’s face. “Of course my Julia goes to the best school in the country.”

 

“Yale is #2.” Julia pushed in the knife.

 

“I don’t care. Your sister is going to Harvard.”

 

“I'm not.” Emily shook her head. “I'm 18 years old and the decision is mine.”

 

“I didn’t intend to start any problems.” Hotch said, not realizing he was clutching his hand in a tight fist. Emily rubbed his back but it did not calm him down much.

 

“Mother, don’t do this today.” Julia said. “It’s Christmas; you can have this discussion some other time.”

 

“This conversation is not over.” Elizabeth said. “Your sister is right…this is a happy time.”

 

“You're going to have to excuse me.” Hotch stood abruptly.

 

“Hotch?” Emily looked up at him.

 

“I’ll be right back.” stroking her face was second nature to him. He rushed toward the powder room.

 

“Mother, you had no right to embarrass me that way.” Emily glared at her.

 

“Watch your tone with me, Emily. I don’t know what tall tales you’ve been telling that boy.”

 

“I don’t need to lie to him, ever. We don’t do that.”

 

“Enough.” Gregory came from across the room, sitting in Hotch’s place beside Emily. “Emily will attend any college she wants…the end. I let many things slide over the years and I have to live with that but my foot goes down on this. Leave her alone, Elizabeth.”

 

“You and your wife…”

 

“Mother.” Julia warned.

 

“You were invited here because we both love our daughters and usually manage to get along. I know you don’t have act this way, Elizabeth. If you insist on being inflexible on things that have nothing to do with you then I will not invite you here again. Snide remarks about Natalie, who has been nothing but good to these girls, are unacceptable.”

 

He was glad his wife was in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on dinner. She planned to stay far away from Elizabeth today anyway. She was only doing this for her stepdaughters, who she loved like her own. 

 

“Please mother,” Emily practically pleaded. “We just want to have a nice afternoon.”

 

“I don’t know what came over me.” Elizabeth said. She sighed, reaching out one hand for Julia and the other to Emily. “I love you both so much. If I'm pushy sometimes it’s only because I know how much your father and I have sacrificed to give you everything.”

 

When she turned to look at Emily, Julia made a face behind her back. Her younger sister and father managed to keep straight faces. They had been having one form or another of this conversation for the past 10 years. While Gregory wished the girls were not victims of Elizabeth’s ever-changing moods, they learned to take it in stride years ago.

 

“Yale, while not at as good as Harvard or Princeton, will be lucky to have a Prentiss.” She said.

 

“I should check on Hotch.” Emily needed to get out of that room.

 

“Apologize to him for me darling. I have been under stress these past few weeks, all the changes in the Bloc. I've probably scared the poor boy to death.”

 

“Aaron Hotchner does not scare easily.” Emily replied walking away.

 

“Something else he has in common with his father.”

 

“Were you and Alexander Hotchner close?” Gregory asked.

 

“We knew each other well; traveled in the same circles.”

 

He made an incoherent sound with his mouth, and then joined his wife in the kitchen. Emily was 18 now; Julia almost 20…this was the last time he planned to be so big-hearted about the family holiday.

 

“Hotch?” Emily tapped on the powder room door.

 

“Come in.”

 

She heard him unlock the door so she turned the knob.

 

“Are you alright?” she asked, closing the door. “I am so sorry you had to see that. Mother apologizes by the way, though it matters little now.”

 

“While I certainly don’t like the way she spoke to you, I can keep my mouth shut.” Hotch replied.

 

“What is it then?” Emily leaned on the wall and Hotch smiled at her. He came closer, one hand resting on the wall by her head.

 

“You know something; we didn’t even have a proper hello. Merry Christmas, Emily.”

 

“Merry Christmas.” She put her arms around his neck, pulling him into a passionate kiss. “Now tell me what's bothering you.”

 

“I will, just not right now.”

 

“I can live with that.”

 

“We’ll go back out there, smile, and make this afternoon go by as quickly as possible. I have presents for everyone.”

 

“That’s because you're wonderful. Mother is not staying for dinner…she has some diplomatic to-do. She never misses them. Things will calm down when she leaves.”

 

Hotch nodded, sliding his hand in hers. He needed to get out there and do it; he hoped he could. Looking at Emily’s beautiful, hopeful face, he knew he had to.

 

***

 

“I think you just endeared yourself to every member of my family.” Emily said, tightening Hotch’s scarf around his neck. “Dad and Nat already love you and I am sure are conspiring with Julia to erect a statue in your image.”

 

“I doubt it.” Hotch replied, laughing.

 

Things did clam down once Elizabeth’s driver arrived to take her to the party. They had a lovely dinner, laughing and playing some word association game that made Hotch laugh more. They exchanged gifts over Christmas movies and pleasant conversation. Hotch was sorry he had to go when he did. He promised to return and spend more time with Julia, who would be in DC for the next two weeks.

 

“You wanted to tell me something.” Emily said.

 

“Its cold out here.” Hotch rubbed her arms.

 

“What did you want to talk about, Hotch?”

 

“Your mother.”

 

“Oh God…what?”

 

“There is no easy way to say this Emily but we promised never to keep secrets from each other.”

 

“We did.” Emily nodded. “Just say it. I know she has a tendency to rub people the wrong way. She is fond of saying “Sweetness is for peaches.” I wish you could see her sometimes, Hotch, she has these moments when…”

 

“She had an affair with my father.” Hotch cut her off.

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“I was fourteen. It was not the first time I saw them together but I knew for sure then. I went to his office, the door was ajar and they were being passionate on the couch. I knocked but he was not very happy to see me. I don’t remember him often being happy to see me.”

 

Emily knew the history of Hotch and his late father. She was sure she didn’t know all of it but knew enough.

 

“I am so sorry.” Emily hugged him close.

 

“It’s not your fault.”

 

“I'm still sorry. It must have been a bad experience for you.”

 

“I love you,” Hotch caressed her face. “You are amazing, Emily Prentiss, and I want to ask you something. Did you like your sweater?”

 

“I loved it.” Emily smiled, shaking off the news she just heard with thoughts of powder pink cashmere.

 

“You didn’t think it was lame? You didn’t think I have been dating this bozo for almost a year and all I have to show for it is a sweater.”

 

“It is a beautiful sweater.”

 

“There's more you know.”

 

“I do know.” Emily’s smile grew.

 

“OK, I want to get you out of the cold so I will stop being elusive. Hold out your hand.”

 

“That’s not elusive?” Emily asked, doing as he asked. He put a small box in her gloved palm. “What is this?”

 

“Open it.”

 

“Aaron…”

 

He loved the way she said his name. He was Hotch to everyone, except mothers. Emily alternated; he knew when she called him Aaron she was either very content or annoyed. Hotch always tried to make sure it was never the latter though he was far from perfect. She loved him anyway, which made him the luckiest guy on the planet. Emily’s lips quirked into a smile as she raised an eyebrow. When she opened the box, she gasped.

 

“Oh my God Hotch, Oh my God, Oh my God.” She backed away a few steps and Hotch missed her heat. “What is…?”

 

“It’s a ring.” He said.

 

“I know that! What does it mean?”

 

Taking hold of her right hand, Hotch brought her closer again. He slid the glove off and took the ring from his bed of velvet. It was a three-diamond solitaire set in white gold. Emily could not be sure but it looked to be about a carat to a 1.5 carats.

 

“It means I love you.” he slipped the ring on her finger. “It means that I always will. It means one day when I make something of myself I will come to your father, ask for your hand, and make you my wife. I want nothing more than for you to be Mrs. Aaron Hotchner.”

 

“Oh Hotch,”

 

She started to cry, looking at the ring once more before hugging him close. Hotch tilted her chin; kissed her deeply. Emily never wanted it to end. The idea of being his wife was a dream come true. She had many plans and hopes for her life…side by side with him was icing on the cake.

 

“You should go. If you're late, your mother won't be happy.” She said.

 

“Alright. I am really sorry I had to tell you something like that about your mother, Emily.”

 

“I know she's not perfect; I’ll be OK. I need to go back inside before I get frostbite though. Hurry home and call when you get there.”

 

“Yes ma'am.” He kissed her once more. “Merry Christmas.”

 

“Merry Christmas.”

 

Walking down the steps to the driveway, Hotch heard his girlfriend go back inside the house and squeal. That made him smile. She was happy and he made it happen…nothing else mattered.

 

***

 

“Hello.” Hotch picked up his bedroom extension.

 

“Did you survive?” Derek asked.

 

“Barely. That dinner was the most boring event ever. I felt like an actor in a Christmas movie. I couldn’t help but want to beg the director to scream cut.”

 

“Anything good happen?” Derek asked laughing. “C'mon man, I know Emily loved her gift. She probably lost her mind.”

 

“She did. We were both very happy.”

 

“And her mom?”

 

“That is a long story. I will make you a deal. You tell me what's happening with Elle, and then I will tell you about the other Ambassador Prentiss.”

 

***

                                                                                               


End file.
